Larijani Highlights US Failure to Cut Iran’s Oil Exports to Zero

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani highlighted the futility of US plots to hit the Islamic Republic’s economy and said Washington has failed in its attempts to cut Tehran’s oil exports down to zero.

Speaking at a meeting with the members of the parliament’s budget commission in Tehran on Wednesday, Larijani hailed decisions taken at the commission regarding next year’s budget and appreciated the members’ move to consider Iran’s oil exports next year to amount to 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) as “a wise decision”.

“The Americans wanted to cut our oil down to zero but they failed,” the parliament speaker went on to say.

“Although there have been some fluctuations in oil prices as in past years, we are managing to sell our oil,” he added.

The remarks come as US officials have repeatedly claimed that they aim to cut Iran’s oil exports to zero.

Tensions between Iran and the US have escalated since US President Donald Trump walked away from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in May and re-imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Following the US exit from the nuclear deal, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.

Trump on August 6 signed an executive order re-imposing many sanctions on Iran, three months after pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal.

He said the US policy is to levy “maximum economic pressure” on the country.

The second batch of US sanctions against the Islamic Republic took effect on November 4.